Olympian, elite track stars sue Puma, claiming ‘defective’ shoes caused injuries, ended careers

Three elite track stars are suing Puma and Mercedes’ Formula 1 team, alleging that high-tech racing shoes marketed to help make athletes faster instead caused serious injuries that derailed their careers.

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Jamaican Olympian Damion Thomas Jr. and American World Championship Gold Medalist Champion Allison filed lawsuits Tuesday in Middlesex County Superior Court. They allege that Puma — whose US headquarters is in Somerville failed to disclose that some of its cutting-edge racing shoes could place abnormal stress on athletes’ feet and lower legs, increasing the risk of injuries that include fractures, Achilles problems, bone stress injuries, and Haglund’s deformity, which is bony growth on the heel bone.

“As professional athletes, our bodies are our livelihoods,” said Allison, whose sponsorship with Puma started in 2022, in a statement to the Globe. “When you sign with a major brand, you trust that the equipment they put on your feet has been tested and is safe.

“You don’t expect that what they’re giving you might end your career,” added Allison, one of the fastest 400-meter runners in history, but who missed the entire 2023 track and season due to injuries.

The lawsuits target several shoes, including Puma’s Deviate Nitro Elite 2 and 3, evoSpeed Tokyo Nitro, evoSPEED Tokyo Nitro 400M. According to the complaints, the shoes use carbon-fiber plates, a proprietary nitrogen-infused foam cushioning. These design features are intended to improve speed by altering how force moves through a runner’s feet and lower legs. Puma’s reinvestment in hardcore running had spectacular results, with 20 wins among its sponsored runners in the Paris Olympics, but the lawsuits allege that the company put speed over safety in their development of these products.

The lawsuits strike at the heart of Puma’s efforts to reestablish itself as a dominant brand in elite running. After years of losing ground to rivals, the 78-year-old company invested heavily in racing shoes and its foam technology, betting it would help it regain market share and attract some of the world’s top athletes.

But while Puma marketed its shoes as safe, extensively tested, and appropriate for both elite athletes and everyday runners, Thomas and Allison allege the company failed to warn users about potential injury risks associated with the designs.

Robert-Jan Bartunek, a spokesman for Puma, said the company strongly denies any allegation that their performance products cause injuries.

“On the contrary, our products are worn by athletes performing at the top of their game in distance running and track and field, breaking records, including the world record in 60m hurdles, pole vault, and high jump,” said Bartunek.

A spokesperson for Puma did not immediately respond to the Globe’s request for comment.

The lawsuits also name Mercedes because its engineers helped the shoe company, which has its North American headquarters in Somerville, develop some aspects of the shoe technology. Adam McDaid, a spokesperson for Mercedes F1 team said he could not comment on the suit.

“I’m afraid, and as I am sure you can understand, we can’t comment on active litigation,” said McDaid in an email on Tuesday morning.

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Peter J. Flowers, a partner at Meyers & Flowers — which alongside Boston-based Sugarman and Sugarman, P.C. represents the runners in their suits — said Puma has prioritized “the promise of speed over safety,” and believes that there could be others affected by similar issues.

“An Olympian or world champion has access to specialists, trainers and lawyers. A high school kid whose foot is hurting is going to the local urgent care, being told to take some time off, and never knowing why,” said Flowers.

The athletes are seeking damages for physical and emotional injuries, medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity and lost sponsorship, endorsement and career opportunities. The lawsuits don’t specify a monetary demand.

The latest complaints follow a similar lawsuit filed by American track and field world champion Abby Steiner in late April in Middlesex County Superior Court. Steiner alleged that Puma’s shoe designs altered “foot and ankle mechanics during running that may contribute to or increase the risk of injury.”

A two-time world champion and a four-time NCAA national champion, Steiner holds the US indoor records for the 200m and 300m sprints. Puma started sponsoring her in 2022, and she wore the shoes in competitions and in training. Steiner, who is also represented by Flowers, claimed in her suit that the products “seriously injured” her.

While training for the Olympics, Steiner said in an Instagram post that she was “often limping around before [and] after my practices and getting through on sheer willpower to fulfill a lifelong dream.” By 2025, she had undergone multiple surgeries for injuries.

In August, Steiner announced she was “taking a step back from running.”

Like Steiner, Allison and Thomas were sponsored by Puma and say they suffered from injuries after switching to the company’s footwear in 2022.

Puma’s sponsored athletes won 20 medals at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Thomas said when he heard of Steiner’s lawsuit, it was the first time he considered that what happened to him “wasn’t just bad luck.” In late 2024, Thomas underwent an osteophytectomy procedure to remove a bone spur in his foot that he said was causing extreme discomfort and pain in his achilles.

“Like a lot of athletes, I assumed my injury was something I had to deal with on my own,” said Thomas, a Tokyo Olympian and 2021 NCAA Champion in the 60-meter hurdles, a five-time NCAA All-American and who previously held the world record in 110-meter hurdles.

“If it took a lawsuit for me to realize I wasn’t alone, there have to be so many other athletes out there who still don’t know,” said Thomas.

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